The WBO designated Janibek as Sheeraz’s mandatory after rejecting Jacob Bank’s competing petition. The two sides were given 20 days from the August 7 ruling to negotiate before a purse bid becomes the next step.

Much of the criticism involves how Janibek received the slot. He has yet to fight at super middleweight and recently served a WBO suspension following a doping violation. His suspension ended July 10, and the organization decided his previous disciplinary case should not prevent him from receiving consideration for mandatory status.

The WBO’s reasoning makes more sense if the rankings are judged on ability rather than time served at 168.

Janibek was a unified WBO and IBF middleweight champion who made five successful defenses of his WBO belt. Compared with much of the WBO’s super middleweight top 15, his championship credentials are difficult to challenge. That is precisely why this order creates such a problem for Sheeraz.

The 27-year-old has already shown that he isn’t untouchable. Carlos Adames fought him to a controversial draw at middleweight. Austin Williams staggered him before being stopped, and Simon Zachenhuber recently pushed him through a difficult 12 rounds.

Janibek is a different proposition. The Kazakh southpaw has the timing and power to punish Sheeraz’s defensive lapses. He produced destructive knockouts during his middleweight title run, and moving to 168 means he will no longer have to squeeze himself down to the middleweight limit.

A knockout loss to Janibek would be far more damaging to Sheeraz than simply surrendering the WBO belt.

Sheeraz’s commercial value is tied to the major fights that remain available to him. He has talked about Canelo, while Eubank Jr. remains another lucrative possibility. Neither fighter is getting younger, leaving Sheeraz with a limited window to secure those paydays.

Getting knocked out by Janibek could force Sheeraz into a rebuilding period just when he wants to cash in on his standing. One or two comeback bouts can consume a year, and there is no guarantee his market value would return to its present level.

That creates an awkward risk-reward equation. Beating Janibek would be an excellent sporting achievement, but it doesn’t necessarily deliver the financial reward Sheeraz wants. Losing badly could cost him his belt, his standing and valuable time.

Sheeraz also knows what Janibek represents. When the two were at middleweight, Sheeraz was previously in line to face him before taking another direction. Now Janibek has moved to 168 and has been placed directly behind him.

Queensberry still has options. An exception could delay the mandatory if an acceptable alternative becomes available, while a step-aside agreement could persuade Janibek to wait. Neither solution is guaranteed, and Janibek has little reason to surrender a valuable mandatory spot cheaply.

Vacating would create its own criticism, particularly after Sheeraz declined Canelo’s suggestion that he prove himself against IBF champion Osleys Iglesias.

But from a career-management standpoint, surrendering a belt may be easier to recover from than getting knocked out by Janibek. Sheeraz could move directly toward another lucrative fight without spending months rebuilding his confidence and market value.

That’s the calculation Queensberry may eventually have to make. Fans may dislike how Janibek received the opportunity, but his ability isn’t the problem with this fight. His ability is the problem for Sheeraz.